An unemployed 19-year-old youth who, on his last birthday, robbed a man of $218,726 with four others was jailed for 30 months and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane on Friday. -- PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

By Elena Chong

SINGAPORE - An unemployed 19-year-old youth who, on his last birthday, robbed a man of $218,726 with four others was jailed for 30 months and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane on Friday.

A district court heard that Mr Tay, who is also a Malaysian, commuted daily on his motorcycle from Johor Baru where he lives to Woodands Centre Road where he works for his sister, who owns a textile shop. He also helped out at his family's money-changing business which operated out of the shop also.

In July last year, Vickyneswaran and a co-accused - Suthagar Annamalai, 33, also a Malaysian - met at a coffeeshop at Woodlands and observed the shop where the victim worked. When Mr Tay emerged, one of them trailed him and updated the rest of the gang on what was happening. Two of the other gang members were identified as Guna and Chinna.